EPISODE: A Girl Named George

Reviewed by Heidi (Netherlands)

Episode 285, Season 9, originally aired: January 14, 1968
 
Guest stars: Sheila Wells, Jack Albertson, Gerald Mohr, Fred Clark, Andy Devine, Steve Raines, Patsy Kelly

Written by: William H. Wright
Directed by: Leon Benson

SUMMARY:

Start of the ep: The Cartwrights and Candy are in court for the trail of the brother of Cato Troxell. The judge convicts the brother to hanging till death follows. Cato reacts fiercely but it is no use. After the trail, the judge talks to Ben and Joe but Cato interrupts them with the threat: “If my brother dies by hanging, then you will die too.” Of course everyone hears it and the judge isn’t impressed of the death threat. He goes home then to have his dinner at 12 o’clock.

At the ranch, Joe complains to Ben and Hoss about the fact if there is something wrong with him: he’s bored and should be wanting to travel, but all he feels like doing is staying at the Ponderosa.  Suddenly Ben sees a wagon coming, with a girl and an older man riding on the front of it.

A girl comes up to Ben and asks: “Are you Ben Cartwright?”

He answers with yes. The girl replies to the man that it is him. She says that she was told Ben was a big man with 2 sons: one fat one and one pretty one.

Ben answers that it is fair description of them. He says: “This is Hoss, the fat one, and the pretty one is Little Joe.”

The girl, who is called George, directly falls in love with Joe and can’t keep her eyes off of him. Her Uncle Enos Blessing shows the Cartwrights a tombstone and begins to talk about when Ben is gone.

The rancher remarks: “That is happy news just before supper.”

The boys promise that they will buy a big tombstone for their father.

Ben reacts with: “That is fine but I have no plans to be going just yet.”

Enos agrees and explains why he has come. He explains about the need for photographs to Ben while Joe somehow manages to get George’s attention away from him. She goes to get some samples of earlier pictures taken. While the Cartwrights are looking at them, George suggests that they should taken pictures of all 3 of them and hang them together above the fireplace. They agree and the picture will be taken the next day.

Enos urges George to go back to Virginia City for some business concerning the photoshop and to tell Cato that the picture is going to be taken at noon the next day.

The next day starts with Ben and Joe sitting ready at their Sunday best and they are waiting for Hoss. All hands are watching. As Hoss comes out of the house, the ranch hands laugh at him in his fancy clothes. First a picture of all 3 Cartwrights is taken and then each Cartwright is photographed separately.

Of course when Joe is posing alone for his picture, Candy arrives at the yard on his horse. He dismounts and goes to see what is going on. Candy starts laughing at Joe. Joe tries to get out of it by saying that Candy must have his picture taken as well, but then Enos steps in. He suggests everyone – the Cartwrights, Candy, and all the ranch hands -- pose for a picture.

Meanwhile, at the same time, Cato waits for the judge in a barn. He shoots the judge dead and goes away.

Some time later, George and Enos are riding to town. While talking about the landscape, they see Cato coming so Enos sends George away. Enos takes out his camera and shoots a picture of Cato too.

Later on, George is back with her Uncle and dreams out loud about Little Joe. Enos suggests that she goes east to a female academy to become a real lady. But of course George objects.

Everyone is again in court but now is the trail against Cato for shooting the judge. The new judge calls Ben to testify. Cato questions Ben and tries to convince the rancher that Cato was also there when the group picture was taken. After that, Cato tells everyone in the room that he was at the Ponderosa the picture was being taken. They go to the photoshop where they see the group picture, which includes Cato. Ben and Joe don’t understand it at all but reluctantly they agree that Cato must have been there at the ranch.

Cato leaves, saying to the Cartwrights: “Thank you, Mr. Cartwright, for providing me an alibi.” Everybody goes away, leaving Ben and Joe stunned.

At the ranch, the Cartwrights look at the group picture and Joe wishes they had never seen that photographer. Joe threatens to go after Cato. While Ben lectures his sons, Candy comes in. Joe snaps at him, telling Candy to stay out of their business but Candy says that the boys told him that the picture was ready. Candy looks at the picture and starts to smile (like only he can do!).

Conversation between Ben and Candy:

Candy: “The boys resisting one of your fatherly lectures, Mr. Cartwright?”

Ben: “If they need one, they get one. I’m sure your father has given you a few.”

Candy: “Oh he did.”

Ben: “And what did you do?”

Candy: “I left home.”

Then he smiles and the Cartwrights don’t know what to say. Candy looks at the picture and says that he can understand how Cato got into the picture but not about the shadow on both sides of the photograph. Candy points out that there is a funny sun at the Ponderosa as it shows shadows at both sides of Cato. He adds that once, in St. Louis, he had his picture being taken and the man had put both pictures into one piece of film. So he had a twin brother. Ben studies the picture carefully. Ben finally concludes that Enos and Cato must have worked together.

They ride to town. Ben and Joe talk to George about the picture Candy had taken in St. Louis but George says that Enos doesn’t make mistakes like double exposures. Ben and Joe leave to go to the courthouse while Candy stays behind to keep watch. Candy sees Cato leaving his office. Cato goes to the photoshop and talks top George about Enos. Candy sees Cato riding away. Candy wants to after him but a man named Roscoe stops him. Candy tries to leave again. When Roscoe doesn’t let Candy go, Candy gives him a smack in the stomach. Candy goes to the Cartwrights to tell them where Cato has gone to. They leave and Candy gets bothered by Roscoe again. On his horse, Candy gives Roscoe a kick and rides away with the Cartwrights.

In the field, Enos is busy when Cato comes to warn him about the fact that the Cartwrights will look for him. Just as Cato shoots Enos, Enos pushes the plunger of the camera, which takes a picture of Cato with his revolver drawn. Cato takes Enos’ money and leaves.

When he sees the Cartwrights riding up, Cato goes into the opposite direction. The Cartwrights find then the body of Enos.

Sheriff Milo can’t arrest Cato, to the annoyance of Cartwrights. Ben sends the boys home while he goes to see George. In the shop, he can’t find her. When she comes in, she starts to cry and Ben comforts her.

She then shows Ben the dark room and how she can develop pictures. Ben agrees her to help her to sell pictures to magazines. While developing the last picture, George sees something interesting.

With the still wet picture, Ben goes to Cato and has a talk with him. Cato tells to Ben to leave him alone. Ben shows Cato the picture of Cato shooting Enos. Cato holds up a statue of the Roman Cato and almost knocks Ben out with it. Then Cato leaves. Ben gets up a moment later and goes after Cato. With his lasso, he catches Cato. They fight and Cato ends up at Boot Hill, falling on the grave of his brother.

The Cartwrights see George off for east by stage. She promises to come visit them.

REVIEWS:

“This is one of the later episodes that I do enjoy. I love the early scenes in which Joe expresses that he can't understand why he's so content to stay put on the Ponderosa (perhaps a reference to his big brother, who wasn't?). Also love the way that George stands gazing adoringly at Joe (well, who wouldn't?) and Joe is a bit worried, as he's not sure if George is a boy or a girl LOL It's funny, too, how the boys tease Ben about his memorial, a really nice family scene. The photography session is amusing, with them all sat with rather sickly grins pasted on their faces, but then that was how it was when photography was in its infancy. The plot is a good one, Cato using the photograph as an alibi, it's worthy of a Columbo ep. I like the way Candy teases the Cartwrights about fatherly lectures. This was just what I liked about Candy, he was not so much in awe of Ben, as most were, and so would say these things, but there was also no doubt that he was fond of them all and envied their close relationship. Poor Ben suffers a really nasty blow to his head, from the statue, and I am surprised that he manages to get up, as quickly as he does, and give chase and apprehend Cato. Must have hard heads, those Cartwrights. George makes me laugh, when she tells Hoss not to exercise her horse, while she's away at the female academy, as he will cause it to become swaybacked. Then she leaves, promising to return, but we never see her again.” Little Joe forever Lynne

“I really liked how in the middle of the summary you added the lines exchange between Candy and Ben.  I'd forgotten that scene and it reminded of why I liked Candy so much.  The mystery and tad bit of the bad boy side of him, just kept me coming back for more.  Maybe that's why he impressed me so much more than Jamie.  Anyway, thought this was a particularly well written episode.  I really liked how they used the photography plot to tie in and solve the murder mystery and George was a great character.  What can I say about ML, hey he is "the pretty one".  Nancy

“Joe looks so cute in this episode when he's wearing his blue suit and posing for the pictures. I can see why George can't take her eyes off of him. I always smile while watching the first part of this episode, when Joe and Hoss are talking about building a big memorial to Pa, and Pa refers to Joe as the "pretty one". It just seems so family-like as they are kidding each other. The whole idea of using the photograph to give Cato an alibi and to prove he is a killer is clever also. The Episode slows down at the end, when it becomes a typical good guys chasing the bad guys, and the Cartwrights telling George to come visit them on summer vacations (the ranch must have been really crowded during the summer if all the people the Cartwrights invited to visit actually show up). But for the most part, I like this episode.” Susan Grote